[ripe-list] Towards a more inclusive community

Jim,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ripe-list <ripe-list-bounces at ripe.net> On Behalf Of Jim Reid
> Sent: Thursday 17 October 2019 15:47
> To: Hank Nussbacher <hank at efes.iucc.ac.il>
> Cc: RIPE List <ripe-list at ripe.net>; diversity at ripe.net
> Subject: Re: [ripe-list] Towards a more inclusive community
> 
> On 17 Oct 2019, at 15:08, Hank Nussbacher <hank at efes.iucc.ac.il> wrote:
> >
> > I would expect that RIPE should name and shame those harassing people at
> meetings.
> 
> Naming and shaming may not be the best or most effective way to deal with
> idiots who behave inappropriately. I wonder too if we are capable of
> producing a legally watertight definition of harrassment which could
> underpin a naming and shaming approach. If I feel harrassed by someone
> (for some definition of harrassed), is that enough to name and shame?
> 
> IMO shunning/banishing people seems to be more appropriate for a
> mediaeval cult and I hope we don't go down that path. Can we consider
> other ways of dealing with behaviour which is wrong?

Asking someone to leave a meeting or, as an extension of that, asking them to leave and telling them they may not come back for subsequent meetings (whether forever or for a period) is very much at the end of any list of actions anyone wishes to take as part of the enforcement of a CoC. That said, if someone is found to be continually disruptive or problematic, or if their presence is clearly keeping other people away etc. then we should not be afraid of taking that step.

It needs to be taken carefully, of course, and at no point should it be something that can be easily or arbitrarily done, but it must be possible, or else we, as a community, are saying that the right of a harmful person to attend a meeting outweighs the right of those they harm to do similar.

And in those circumstances I think the community needs to carefully consider what we want more, and what we feel is the best for that community in the short, medium and long terms.

Certainly for me the answer is that this tool must exist, to hope to never have to use it, but to know that if it is necessary, then it will be used.

And, of course, as Hans Petter points out, it's already in there, v3.0 of the CoC actually gives more clarity around the process for invoking it.

Brian

Brian Nisbet 
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